Stories of Innovation

Every founder has a version of the story: the idea comes together, early users respond well, and the product starts to feel real. The prototype works, the pitch lands, and the roadmap fills up. What tends to get overlooked in that moment is the engineering reality waiting on the other...

Founded in Nashville in 1890 by Susan Heron and Ida B. Hood–two female school teachers–Belmont University has been defying conventional expectations of higher education and serving as an incubator of innovation ever since. Today, the University is comprised of nearly 9,000 students from every U.S. state and 33 countries. Nationally...

Nerdhub Kenya was started as a platform to give talented Kenyan youth an opportunity to grow. Kenya is an underdeveloped country where youth really struggle to follow their dreams. We are giving the youth the opportunity to be the next pop star, Esports champion, Comic artist, Dancer etc. We are...

Diotech OÜ is an Estonian energy-technology company operating as a system integrator in the fields of energy storage, solar power, electrical infrastructure, lighting, and EV charging solutions. According to its website, the company’s mission is to accelerate society’s shift to carbon-neutral electricity production and consumption. Over recent years, Diotech Group...

Located in the heart of Nashville, Trevecca offers students an exciting, fulfilling college experience as they pursue a personal calling in a thriving city. A Christian liberal arts university, Trevecca’s diverse, supportive community is a safe haven for spiritual and personal growth, vocational discernment and opportunities for service.   Growth...

Founded by a group of passionate innovators, entrepreneurs, and executives, the DC Tech and Venture Coalition (DCTAV) aims to revolutionize the tech and innovation landscape of Washington, D.C. Kevin Morgan, the Founder and Executive Director, shares its mission: “We aim to establish Washington, D.C., as the epicenter of the world’s...

Large ponds do not fail in a single dramatic event; dissolved oxygen levels drop across weeks, banks lose an inch of soil each heavy rain, and aerator motors wear imperceptibly until a summer heat wave triggers a fish kill. Each of these seven upgrades targets a distinct layer of pond...

Established in 2019, Nineteen21 is an innovative subscription business that presents savings and rewards solutions across a number of tiers. The company initially sought out to find a solution for college and varsity students to save money and maximise on the value of their limited monthly allowances. The company built...

The Bellwether District and Philadelphia’s New Hub for Innovation On 1,300 acres in South and Southwest Philadelphia, a former oil refinery is being transformed into one of the most ambitious redevelopment projects in the United States, with more than 14 million square feet of innovation and industrial space planned. For...

The Innovation Studio is a venture studio based in the Nashville region that exists for a single purpose: to build technology startups that solve pervasive industry problems by developing and using the best artificial intelligence. From the origin of an idea through company exit, the Studio uses a disciplined, repeatable...

ELEVATOR PITCH Bristol Private Equity Club (BPEC) was founded by Jerry Barnes alongside five local influential and successful entrepreneurs in May 2016 and has, to date, provided circa £6M to 18 Bristol-based tech companies, some of whom are progressing to being globally-recognised leaders in their specialised sector. These investments have...

ExxonMobil manages an industry-leading portfolio of resources, and is one of the largest integrated fuels, lubricants, and chemical companies in the world. Innovation and collaboration are keys to our success in delivering for customers, shareholders, and stakeholders. Working with the world’s leading research institutions and universities, ExxonMobil’s scientists and engineers...

In the spring of 2020, just as the devastating first wave of the pandemic began to hit businesses, healthcare and our communities, the TELUS Pollinator Fund for Good was born. At $100 million, the Pollinator Fund is one of the world’s largest corporate impact funds. The Pollinator Fund invests in...

Mason EnterpriseTM is a George Mason University-based economic development division that focuses the energy, skills, and intellectual capital of Virginians on new company creation and small business expansion. Through 24 intertwined, complementary programs that include business counseling, workshops, training, and connection to university assets (research, class projects, interns), Mason Enterprise...

Casino payments have changed dramatically over the past decade. What once meant entering card details, waiting several business days for a withdrawal, and dealing with unclear transaction labels has become a much broader financial technology conversation. Players nowadays can fund an account through e-wallets, bank transfers initiated through open banking,...

Transformatrice, innovatrice et perturbatrice. L’industrie techno est devenue un moteur stratégique de l’économie, une partie intégrante du mode de fonctionnement de notre société. Avec l’essor de l’intelligence artificielle, de la 5G, des appareils intelligents, des mégadonnées, des modes de travail asynchrones, entre autres technologies émergentes, on peut s’attendre à une...

Merinov, a Center for Applied Research in Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Aquatic Product Processing, is a prominent player in Eastern Canada’s blue economy. It holds the distinction of being the largest integrated research center in Canada dedicated to these fields. Since its establishment in 2010, Merinov has been committed to serving...

If you woke up with the opportunity to help empower the next generation of change makers, how would you maximize that opportunity? That’s the question we have the privilege of answering every day for our students. In the 150 years since Vanderbilt University’s founding, we’ve grown from a regional university into...

Continuus is a data and analytics consulting firm headquartered in the heart of Milwaukee’s bustling Third Ward. Continuus is uniquely positioned to be the integrator and advisor that brings the Financial Services Data Cloud ecosystem together through technical expertise, partnerships, and core differentiator: industry expertise. Founder’s StoryMatt Moeser founded Continuus...

Since 1989, truly understanding people has been a unique trait of Dalton – a leading advertising, public relations and digital marketing agency with offices across the Southeast, in Nashville, Atlanta and Jacksonville. On every project, Dalton digs deep to uncover the insights and human truths that get to the emotional...

CARBON REFORM TURNS EVERYDAY HVAC INFRASTRUCTURE INTO A PLATFORM FOR ENERGY SAVINGS, CLEAN AIR, AND CARBON REMOVAL Most climate solutions feel far removed from everyday life. Direct air capture, industrial-scale carbon removal, next-generation infrastructure – these approaches matter, but they often feel inaccessible or years away from practical use. Carbon...

Established over two decades ago, has become a prominent Scientific and Technological Institution (ICT). Renowned for providing diagnostic solutions to both public and private health sectors, IBMP has a rich portfolio of diagnostic tests and is dedicated to the development of cutting-edge technologies. This development occurs independently and through collaborative...

Delivering enterprise-class digital experiences, VizworX is an advanced software solutions services company. Leveraging the latest in augmented reality, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, complex data visualization, web and mobile technologies and techniques, VizworX supports numerous industries around the world by turning complex data into easily understandable and actionable information. We enable...

The South Carolina Small Business Development Centers (SC SBDC) advances the state’s economic development by providing entrepreneurs world-class consulting services, access to a wellspring of resources and affordable training programs. The SC SBDC operates as a cohesive network, offering clients at every stage of the business lifecycle (from pre-venture and...